Cyked Out
by eplepai
Summary: Athena realized that morning: A life as an attorney should not be this exciting, dangerous, and even life threatening, so you should never leave things unfinished, undone, unsaid... If only she could psyche her self up, take some action, and say what needs to be said.


"Do you ever ponder about your own mortality?" Were the first words Athena spoke that morning, when she barged into Wright's Anything Agency. Five minutes late, might I add, as well. Snow flurries, riding the cold winds flew up around behind her, making her entrance ever so much more dramatic. Apollo looked unfazed up from his morning coffee. He was so used to dealing with her antics, that anything she did ceased to amaze him as much anymore. Athena took of her coat, and dove down on the red couch in the middle of the front room.

"Well, despite our life of work, I've done it more and more often." He finally let in, after Athena had given him a look of "please ask me to elaborate" for about half a minute. Athena gave her award winning shit eating grin.

"You'd be surprised, right? I mean, we're lawyers, desk junkies," she threw her hands up dramatically. "And _yet_ , we do more detective work than Batman, and get into more life threatening situations than whatever Batman's side piece is at the moment."

"Batman never has a side piece." Apollo corrected, and sat down with his paperwork across from her.

"Why you gotta ruin my groove, bro?" Athena looked hurt. Apollo's eyes got a cocky little sparkle.

"Morning Apollo, morning Athena!" Mr. Wright said, and entered the office. Ten minutes late.

"Am I the only one who cares about arriving to work on time?" Apollo said exasperated. He was in fact.

"Anyways, where was I?" Athena continued after greeting her boss.

"Pondering your own mortality?" Apollo sighed.

"Right!" She sat up abruptly. "So there I was, standing by the light, super tired because who on god's green earth decided that starting at eight was a bright idea."

"Says the girl who is five minutes late." Apollo mumbled as he took a sip of his coffee. Athena stuck his tongue out at him.

"Anyways. So the light turns green for me, and I am about to cross the street, when WOOSH a car flies by! Lost traction on the fresh snow. If I had reacted even _one second_ earlier, then BAM!" she clapped her hands loudly. "I'd be dead."

"Oh my gosh!" Mr. Wright gasped, "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah." Athena said and waved her hands in response. "I am fine, no bones broken, all limbs intact. Fingers!" She wiggled her ten, perfectly working, fingers in front of him. Apollo also looked ever so slightly worried. She sighed. "Though, I don't know boys, I guess I was a bit shaken."

"Who wouldn't be?" Mr. Wright sat down next to Apollo, and the two sat across from her. She felt like a child, who was about to get a lecture from her parents. Or her dad, and five-year older brother.

"Mr. Wright, you once ran over a burning bridge and fell into ice cold water, in a chasm far below yourself." Athena tilted her head and looked at him.

"Yes, and I ended up in the hospital." He answered her slowly. Athena playfully stuck out her tongue at him.

"Okay, so as I was saying. My own mortality. Having an almost life and death experience as that, you know, how they say that your life flashes before your eyes. There are so many things that I'd have left unsaid, and undone, if I had died right there and then." She took a pause, took a moment to consider all. She had a long bucket list, and so far only one of the major things were knocked off from that. Saving her childhood friend from the death penalty. Things doesn't really get bigger than that. But even so, she'd hate to have leave the state of things as they were right now. "Like, I'd never have had been able to go to the moon? Or climb Mount Everest. Or wrestled with a bull!"

"Just normal stuff I guess." Apollo said mockingly. Though he understood what she was getting at. He had a bucket list of his own of course too. Nothing he'd ever share with anyone. Or maybe someone, one day. Perhaps.

"Right!" Athena was far too into her own thoughts to catch the sarcasm. "Or…" She trailed off, and whispered the last part, almost inaudible. "Tell someone you love them…."

"Athena?" Mr. Wright asked softly.

"Sorry, boys, there is something I need to do." She didn't meet their eyes, jumped over the couch, and grabbed her winter coat from the coat rack, and went out into the cold, to battle the elements.

Themis Legal Academy. A fine academy, and currently going through a lot of change, considering that their principle, Aristotle Means, had not too long ago gotten arrested for murder. Not only murder, but the murder one of the best professors the academy had to offer. But even so, class went on as normal, not completely off the hitch, but surprisingly well considering. But because of the maybe not completely worked out new class timetable, Athena ended up spending almost half an hour to try and find the classroom of her very dear friend, Juniper Woods. Or Junie, for short and sweet. Despite Junie's small frame, meek voice, and soft eyes, she was studying to become the most stoic and central part of the "three legal branches"; a judge. Meaning, Athena had to find the where the judge lecture was being held, this Tuesday morning.

She had finally found the room, and was sure it was the right room this time. The first room she had barged into had turned out to be where the Academy had stored all the reminisce of Professor Means' old reign. It had been filled with blackboards.

Athena paced back and forth in front of the lecture hall door for about five minutes, working up the nerve. She had seen her childhood bogyman in their eyes, and walked away from it. She had seen the corpse of her dead mother, and walked away from it. Sure with some childhood trauma, but better than expected. She had done so much, before even turning 20. "I can do this." She whispered to herself. "I am Athena Cykes, and I am fine!" She bursted out, though not as loud as she wanted to, _needed_ to, considering she was at a school and class was going on. She threw open the door. Everyone turned to look at her. A good 100 students. All eyes on her. 200 of them.

Athena felt her courage wavering. She swallowed. "Juniper Woods!" She yelled.

A meek little "Yes?" came from somewhere within the student body.

"Ca-can I speak with you out on the hall?" Athena yelled. A bit too loud.

"O-oh, okay, Thena…" Juniper said and stood up. "Excuse me, pardon me, I'm so sorry, thank you, excuse me, pardon me." She mumbled as she made her way out to the stairs leading up to the lecture hall's exit. She had been sitting pretty far in the middle of her classmates. When she reached Athena, she was red in her face. Juniper was pretty easily flustered.

"Sorry for interrupting your class, you're doing a great job!" Athene a shouted to the slightly annoyed teacher before closing the door behind them. She took a step back, and took a deep breath, before truing around to look at Juniper. She stood there, understandably confused, still a bit embarrassed. She had grown so much, and Athena was so proud. When Athena had left for Europe, after her mother's death she had left behind maybe one of the best friends he ever had, ever will have, Juniper. Years later, when Athena had returned to her old home, she hadn't had the guts to reach out again, call up her old friend. A lot had happened, leaving the now hot headed girl, pretty scared and Athena hadn't kept contact, something she was ashamed of. It was only after another very unfortunate death, the two girls had been brought back together again, and how much the small Juniper had changed. She had toughened, hardened, she had gotten strong, but in doing so, she had become aloof, detached, and cold. Now that Juniper had gotten back her best friend, she was slowly turning back to what she once was, but at the same time, not abandoning the greatness she had developed to.

"So?" Juniper started. Athena realized she had been starring at Junie for a full minute, without ever saying a word.

"Uh, well, so, this morning, I almost died, and –" She was cut off.

"What?!" juniper exclaimed. "What happened?! Are you alright?!"

"Yes, of gosh, sorry, what a terrible way to start this!" Athena clasped her hands to her cheek. "Yes I am fine! Don't worry! It's just that I started thinking about that, well, this world is freaking crazy, I mean! Look at what happened at this school! Like, what if some mad man comes and kills me right now?!" Athena laughed nervously, but that did not help the situation. Juniper looked as if Athena had just told her she had two hours to live.

"Thena…." She mumbled. Athena felt week to her knees. _Oh gosh why did you have to call me that._

"Look, okay." Athena pulled her bangs back, her nerves acting up. This was not going the way she had planned it in her head, not at all. She had planned it so perfectly on her way here. What she was going to say, what tone of voice to use, and what she'd do after, when everything was out. "It's just that, uh, Junie, everyone might die at any minute, and, uh, there are somethings that would, you know, not be good if that happened?" She took a pause, trying to search Junipers face, to see if she was catching on. The young judge was not. Not even in the slightest.

"Athena if you died! I-I don't even want to think about it!" Juniper took both of Athena's hands in her own. Athena could feel her heart beating through her chest. Her mind was racing.

"Junie..." She whispered. She was going to say it. She was, right now, just this moment, any minute now. The words would fly out of her mouth. The three words that could change everything. Athena opened her mouth. Athena chickened out. "I think you're swell!"

"What?"

"Look, uh, I need to get back to the office, uh, you know, the bad guys don't get arrested on their own!"

"Uh, aright?" Juniper let go of Athena's hands, and the red head started to back away.

"Um, can I uh, can we meet tonight, maybe?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm free at eight?" Juniper was thoroughly confused.

"Great. That's great. You're great." And Athena powerwalked the hell out of there.


End file.
